Tragically Sure
by DeborahSulkin
Summary: Carla is struggling to deal with the revelation that Peter has been cheating on her with Tina and she begins to doubt everything her and Peter once had. Hopefully her friends and family are there to pull her out of the rubble and keep her going on. - Currently on hiatus.
1. Chapter 1

**_Authors Note:_**

Hey guys. I know I've not written fanfiction for a year or two but I have been writing a lot on Tumblr Roleplays and for my Creative Writing class at Uni. I've never written a Coronation Street fanfiction before at all, so this shall be a new thing for me. I hope you like it and if you do or don't please always leave feedback. Apologies for messing this up, doesn't like indents.

Please note:

This will likely become a Carchelle story. The rating is not set in stone and the whole story is not fully planned. We'll just see where it for things to happen and so forth. Suggestions are always welcome.

Peter is cheating with Tina but he has not been sent to rehab. Carla is also pregnant.

That's generally all you need to know, now on with the story.

* * *

The sun beamed in through her bedroom window, waking Carla from her pretty solid sleep. The brunette frowned thanks to the light, her eyes not daring to open and take it in. Her alarm hadn't gone off yet, as far as she knew, so why would she have to get up? It never occurred to her that perhaps she had slept right on through it.

Her head buried back into her pillow, one hand grabbing a matching one from Peter's side of the bed to clasp it over her face. Somehow and she wasn't sure how exactly, Carla was more exhausted than when she had went to bed last night. As a rumbling came from her slender stomach, the woman began to realise something.

Why was her husband missing of all people?

That was when she finally pulled the pillow off of her face and let her eyes meet the sunlight. Pupils dilating automatically.

"Peter?" She asked, looking to the empty side of her bed. It seemed to be hardly touched, the sheets at least. Carla had stolen the blanket and of course used his pillow to shield her face this morning but she could tell he hadn't been there all night.

There was still an air of hopefulness playing over her as she climbed out of bed. Walking into the living room to _hopefully_ find her husband asleep on the sofa or having breakfast.

When she got there Carla was not shocked to find it still empty. The only sign of life in this home was from her this morning. With only a shrug of her shoulders she headed to the fridge and pulled out the milk in order to make herself some tea. Peter was something she could worry about later.

She was standing at the kitchen counter as the kettle began to come to its boil. Her tired eyes watching the mug that sat ready with a tea bag and sugar. Decaf thanks to the little thing growing inside of her. Bright green numbers were displayed on the microwave to her right and Carla saw fit to look at it. Just to know how early her body had woken her up.

Her green eyes widened as she read the time.

"Shit." She said, rushed now. Carla left the kitchen in haste - off to get herself ready for work that she happened to already be an hour late for. Hopefully Peter had opened up without her. A girl could wish at least.

When she arrived at work it was quite the opposite of what she had hoped for. Outside the factory stood a few of the girls looking more than fed up with her. Only three of them, of course. The others had seen it fit to skip for the day thanks to her not turning up on time.

"I hope we're still getting paid for this lost hour, Mrs. Barlow!" Sean commented as Carla climbed out of her car.

"We'll talk about it once you get today's work done, Sean." The feisty woman commented back now. She headed up to the doors her keys jingling as she found the one for the factory.

"Blimey, Mrs. Barlow, you look like crap." Eva now piped up to comment earning herself a glare from the woman.

"Yes, Eva, thank you for your input."

With the muttering chatters of the few people in for work Carla opened the door and made a beeline straight for her office. There she still didn't find Peter, which was evident from the door still being locked. Still she had been hopeful. It was only a moment or two later that her raven-haired ex. sister in law walked into her office.

"There ya' are." Michelle spoke as she stood in the doorway, not even having the curtsey to knock.

"Not now, 'Chelle, I've got paperwork up to 'me eyebrows."

Michelle huffed at her best friend, perching herself on the edge of her desk with her arms crossed over her chest. "D'you want to explain to me why over 'alf of your machinists are over at The Rovers?"

She knew from the chatter of the girls at the pub why they were there but Michelle wanted to hear it from her friend first.

"They're lazy?" Carla nonchalantly answered, still working on some papers in front of her.

"Hmm." Michelle pushed herself to her feet, walking over to the window to glance out at the few that were working. "Funny that. Only I heard them sayin' that you weren't 'ere this mornin'."

Carla was still a little too busy to give her a response.

"Carla?" Her best friend huffed at her as she walked back to the woman's desk. A click of her heels on the hardened floor in her wake. "Are you even listenin' to me?"

She only gave her a reply when her work was covered by the manilla folder that once held it. "What?" Carla asked her, green eyes glaring.

"You weren't here? Is sommit' up?" Now she leant herself back on the desk hand still holding the folder in place.

Carla shook her head, brown locks shaking as she did so. Eva was right; she did look like crap. Thanks to being late she hadn't had the time to straighten up her hair and apply her make-up this morning.

"Nothin' is wrong, 'Chelle." Sighed Carla, looking from Michelle's hand that held the file on her work still. Now she had no choice but to pay attention to her. "I just overslept."

"The Carla I know doesn't over sleep." She quirked one of her eyebrows.

"Then I guess you don't know this Carla, d'you?" Scoffed the brunette, now pushing her chair from the desk. If she couldn't work she was going to make a brew instead.

"Car, I'm just worried about ya'." Michelle still sat on the desk, she now folded her arms across her chest watching the woman walk to a filing cabinet where a kettle and tray of tea bags and sugar sat. "Y'know you can't drink that." She informed her after a pause.

"It's decaf." Carla answered her, flicking the kettle on. She threw a tea bag into her mug and some sugar, looking to face Michelle as the kettle boiled. "Don't you 'ave a job to be doin'?" She huffed some hair out of her face, "Y'know, anythin' but hassling me."

"I'm not hassling. I'm worrying."

"Same difference." At that moment the kettle clicked and Carla turned to pour the water into her cup. "I was tired, alright? What else can I say."

"You were tired?" Squinted Michelle. "Is that not a sign you need to work less already?"

Carla looked to the window at Michelle's words, to make sure there wasn't a nosy son-of-a-bitch listening into their conversation. "It's not even showing yet, Michelle. As if I'm cutting down me' work hours already."

"Well maybe you need to consider it."

She carried the mug back over to her desk, thankfully taking a seat back in the desk chair. After a blow along the top of her tea she took a small sip. "I don't 'ave time for that."

"This is what you have a husband for." Commented Michelle, looking to his empty desk chair. "Where is 'e anyway?"

Carla simply shrugged. Seeing the chance she took the folder off of her work to get back to looking at it.

"Y'mean he didn't come home last night?" Michelle now asked.

"Pretty much."

There was a slight annoyance in Michelle's attitude then. As much as she didn't hate Peter, she wasn't his biggest fan either and it wasn't his job to go screwing around leaving Carla to deal with the factory and the fact she was pregnant all on her own. Not while she was still dealing with the after effects of George's death too.

Neither of them would ever have guessed he was over at Tina's flat, fast asleep in bed with her but that was definitely where Peter woke up just ten minutes later…


	2. Chapter 2

_**Authors Note:**_

Firstly thank you for the reviews, favourites, and follows. You know it means a whole lot to me so keep on doing it. Any feedback is always welcome.

It's also a little difficult for me to get their accents down in a story so I will apologise now, I am trying with those.

* * *

Peter awoke with a large groan around eleven that morning. The bed next to him was still warm and he knew from the feel of the sheets (and his head) that he was definitely not at home. The shower was running in the distance and he laid there trying his hardest not to listen to the sound as his head pounded on.

He could have sworn he ended this with Tina. Their whole cheating thing. It wasn't fair to Carla and their incoming child, nor was it fair to Tina.

Yet the drunken heart wants what it wants and clearly he had gotten that last night.

Peter had dropped back to sleep when he felt Tina's slight weight dip in on his side of the bed, if you could even call it that. A mug of coffee gave a muted clatter as it rested upon the bedside table.

"Oi, get up." Tina said, shaking his shoulder.

Peter groaned in response, looking at her with a squinted glare. "How much did I...?" He asked now, palm rubbing at his eyes.

"No idea. You showed up 'ere, off your face, begging for me." Tina informed him nonchalantly.

"And then what?" Peter now asked, forcing himself to sit up with a moan. He clasped the coffee and took a strong drink of the liquid.

"Then what do you think?" Tina huffed at him, standing from the bed with a glare. Her arms crossed over her chest.

Peter looked at her over the mug of coffee that was hovering at his lips, he pulled it away to talk, "I'm hoping you told me to shove off and then made me sleep it off here."

"Are you serious?" Tina asked, one eyebrow raised. "Peter, you told me you loved me. That you wanted me instead of her. What do you_ think_ we did?"

After that he understood moments later what was going on. What exactly had happened. Of course he had fucked up once more...

* * *

Carla was in the factory on her own as it was lunch time, she was still frantically working on the paperwork that she had stacked across her desk. Her green eyes were locked firmly to the empty desk across from her, however. Pen clutched in hand, work waiting to be read over, yet there she was. Just staring at Peter's desk.

With a sigh Carla forced herself to her feet. She dropped the pen with haste and collected her bag and jacket. A click of her heels echoed behind her as she walked through the empty factory, the sound being lost as she fiddled to grab her keys from her bag. Not wanting to risk this place being robbed over the break, when she got outside Carla locked up the doors and headed across the road.

There was Michelle behind the bar where Carla was happy to see her. Even if she had been a little snippy earlier, there was something about her best friend's face that made her feel welcomed. Almost like her face could make her feel like she was at home no matter the place.

"There ya' are. I was wonderin' when you were gonna show." Michelle said to Carla, giving her a friendly smile despite the small upset of them this morning. It was merely what the both of them did. Disagree and act as if nothing happened ten minutes later.

"Yeah, well, you know me, 'Chelle." Carla said as she took a seat by the bar.

"You're right, I do." Michelle said with her back turned to her friend now. Gathering her a drink she had not yet ordered.

The girls from the factory were busy chatting in one of the other corners of the bar, laughing loudly. "'Ey, girls, you better be back on time y'know. We're an hour behind." Carla reminded them, at least thankful to see the girls that had not yet shown to work today. She had to remind them that she was in and so should they be.

"Yes, Mrs. Barlow." Fiz spoke for the majority of them.

Carla's eyes rolled, she turned to look back at Michelle as the girls were chattering once more. Michelle put an orange juice down in front of Carla with a huff.

"So," Carla said, fishing out some money to pay for the drink, "No sign of me' husband or?"

"You 'aven't seen him yet?" Michelle asked, eyebrows raised.

Carla's head shook, her lips turned into a small frown, "Nope. No sign. I called him, left a message and a text but nothin' yet."

"Well, he was in here not ten minutes ago. I thought he'd come over on his break, y'know."

"He was 'ere?" Carla asked, confused.

"Yeah. He looked a little hungover I must admit. I thought he just popped out for a fag." The woman informed her friend. Watching her expression change from content to one of almost anger. "Is everythin' alright?"

"I can't keep doing this." Carla sighed, looking around the pub. "I can't keep flamin' doing this." Her voice raised now, everyone in the pub was looking to the caramel haired woman.

"C'mon, come to the back." Michelle said to her, looking around those prying eyes. "We'll get a brew and talk." As Carla was walking around to the back she looked at Steve. "I'm taking a break, keep hold of the fort."

"Well 'ang on, 'Chelle, where's Tina?" Steve asked now, then he rolled his eyes.

"I've got no idea, alright?" Michelle spoke as she rose the partition letting Carla walk through. She ushered her into the back with a sigh. "C'mon, I'll put t'kettle on."

"No," Carla said, shaking her head. A shaky hand stroked at her forehead. "I need some fresh air."

* * *

Peter had been outside having a cigarette, one leg pressed against the wall of The Rovers when Tina passed him by. Somewhat fuming with him from the fact he stormed out when he knew what time it was that morning.

"There ya' are!" She was yelling, like usual. "We need to talk."

There wasn't much of a chance for him to even stub out his cigarette before Tina tried to tug at his hand.

"Oh yeah, great, let's talk here in front of the whole street." He huffed, glaring at her.

"In the back, Peter, for God's sake." Tina tugged again.

They snuck around the alley way and Tina opened up the back gate with ease like the two of them were used to doing this behind everyone's backs very often.

"Peter, you said you love me." Tina repeated once the gate shut with a clatter. Her voice was raised slightly.

"Look,_ I was drunk_, can we not, Tina." He huffed at her, now looking around the yard with a sigh.

"Oh, you were drunk were ya'? Aren't you always?" She was yelling now.

Tina knew arguing was pointless, she knew he would only deny, deny, deny. Instead she closed the space between them and without hesitation she locked her lips with him. Briefly, not all too passionately. After a few seconds she pulled away to take in his stunned face.

"Well?" Tina asked, Peter still looked stunned. "Did ya' feel anything?" She asked now, like a lost teenager in some clichéd romance film.

Peter, much as she had wished, closed the gap between them again. Kissing her more heatedly. Much like him and alcohol, he wanted what he knew he couldn't and shouldn't have. Without breath he pressed her against the wall. One of Tina's legs hitching up his side.

Unfortunately that was the moment Carla walked outside, Michelle hot on her heels.

"I just-" She was talking as she walked into the fresh air. Stopping dead her words and her steps when she saw the pair. It was hard to tell who was there since she could only see the back of him but there was not a bit of doubt in her mind who it was. Now who was the cheap bitch wrapped around him?

"Peter?" Michelle asked, wide eyed.

Both stopped, Peter stepped away from Tina slowly. All four standing in the yard in a stunned silence.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Authors Note:**_

Thanks once more for the reviews, favourites, and the follows. They mean a whole lot to me as I'm sure they do to many fanfiction writers. I got a little distracted by YouTube and Carla videos the last couple of days, aka I'm back in 2010 watching things and then maybe I'll go to 2009, who knows. It made me wonder what the Frank storyline would have been like had Kym not been on Maternity leave y'know. Anyway, Tree's thoughts are over, enjoy your next update and please let me know if you liked it.

* * *

Three of them froze on the spot as Michelle spoke. The latter however began to rage. If Carla wasn't going to bite his head off she sure as hell would do it on her behalf. Besides, Carla didn't need that stress.

"You are disgusting!" She yelled firstly, her finger pointing out at the pair of them in anger.

It took Michelle opening up her mouth to prompt Peter into a reaction, anything than being frozen on the spot.

"Carla," He began speaking to the teary-eyed woman, his hands risen in surrender, "She came onto me, I tried to push her off." He decided to plead innocent before her.

Carla's eyebrows rose, her arms crossed over her chest before one arm outstretched to the lying bastard. "No, Peter, the only pushing you were flamin' doing was with her against a wall!" She yelled now, seething.

"Carla, please," Peter pleaded, stepping away from a stunned Tina who was now standing herself up straight. Michelle then saw it fit to get in his path. Ensuring he didn't take another step near her best friend.

"No, you do not stand there and lie your way out of this one, do you hear me?" She shouted at him as Carla stood behind in silence.

"I don't think this is any of your flamin' business, Michelle, leave Carla and me to sort it out would you!" Tina began to walk behind him quietly, Peter still held his hands in mid air.

"You don't think it's my business? You don't?" Michelle asked, squinting. She glanced back to Carla who was wiping her tears away before they actually fell down her face. "This is definitely my business!"

"Carla, call off your lap dog would ya'?" Tina piped in, earning her a glare from the other three adults in the yard.

"Don't you call me a lap dog, don't you dare!" Michelle now shouted, edging closer to Tina. Thankfully Peter was in the centre so he was able to block off her path to Tina.

"Why not, eh? Seems like that to me!" Tina shouted back.

Amidst the yelling a small voice, broken, came through. Carla sniffled a little before she asked, "How long?"

"Carla." Peter pleaded again. "It's not-"

"Months." Tina replied cutting him off.

"Carla, please, ignore her." He began to beg, walking closer to her.

Carla turned away from him now, devastated. She shielded her face with both of her hands and began to sob loudly into them. Michelle pushed Peter away from Carla, watching him stumble back into Tina's arms.

"Don't you go anywhere near her." Michelle ordered, backing away to stand near Carla.

"I should have seen this coming." Carla said when her friend stood at her side, an arm draped over her shoulders. "If he can cheat on Leanne with me he can cheat on me with someone else." She scowled.

"C'mon, let's get you away from this." Michelle said now, ushering Carla back through into the back of the pub. Trying to get her into the front room at least.

"Carla, please, Carla, talk to me." Peter begged following after them.

"Peter, just leave. Take your cheap girl and leave me alone!" Carla finally shouted just as Michelle got her through into the front room.

"Carla!" He shouted now.

Michelle slammed the door in his face. Peter froze for a moment debating opening it but he knew it wasn't worth it. He had fucked up now. Tina gave a bitter laugh from behind him.

"Seems like trouble in paradise to me." Tina gloated a little. Now Steve had walked through to the back worried by the shouting.

"Whoa, whoa, what the hell is goin' on here?" He asked.

"Shut up, Tina!" Peter yelled, giving her a good shove so he could storm out of the pub.

"Calm down will you!" Steve now called, grabbing his arm. Peter snatched it back and began to storm out of the pub snatching a bottle of the first thing he could grab along the way.

"What was all that about?" Steve now asked confused. Of course he had a small idea, but he wasn't going to broadcast that.

"Just shut up, Steve." Tina huffed, returning to behind the bar in a very awful mood.

The girls from the factory still sat at their seats, looking on in confusion.

"Ay, what d'you suppose is going on there?" Sean asked firstly.

"He just took some vodka with 'im." Eva pointed out.

"I thought 'e was an alcoholic." Kirk spoke.

"Exactly, Kirk, that's why 'e shouldn't be." Eva informed him, taking a drink of her wine.

"Oh, right." Kirk replied, frowning, he looked confused for definite.

Beth walked back over with drinks clutched in her hands. Double fisted of course. She put them on the table with a tut as she made Julie move up and give her space to sit down.

"Right moody 'mere she is." Beth huffed as she sat down. "'ad a go at me for asking why Peter stormed off."

You could see the cogs turning in their heads as they gossiped along. "You don't suppose sommit' is goin' on between Tina and Peter d'you?" Julie asked in shock.

"I dunno, they're either secretly chatting or not talkin' at all when Tina's got shifts." Sean said, having observed them a time or twenty. "Except when Mrs. Barlow is in with 'im."

Julie gave a little gasp, "Oh, poor Mrs. Barlow, you don't suppose…"

* * *

Carla's hand shook as she rose it to clasp the bridge of her nose. She sniffled once more and took a very calming breath. Michelle was sat upon the couch next to her, watching her heartbroken. She wasn't sure what to say to make this better nor what to do. Instead the raven haired woman sat there watching her with tears in her eyes.

"She said months, 'Chelle." Carla said after another moment of silence. Her green eyes looked to Michelle, broken. "Months."

"Carla, please. Calm down and talk to Peter about it." Michelle tried to at least get her tears and moods to relax. Even if she hated Peter she knew Carla needed him. They were going to have a child together.

"Talk to Peter about it?" Her voice rose as she looked to Michelle, shaking her head. "Did you just see him try to lie off the fact he had her, one leg around him, kissing her, up against a flamin' wall?" The woman scoffed, "'Push her off' I'll push her off in a minute. Off of a flamin' ledge!"

Michelle looked at her friend angered. She wanted nothing more than to go out there and slap Tina herself but that wouldn't make things better. Before she had a chance to say a comforting word Steve had entered the back with a soft knock.

"I just wanted to let you know Peter's nicked a bottle of vodka and disappeared."

"Yeah, let 'im rot in a gutter for all I care." Carla didn't turn to Steve as she said it.

Michelle looked passed Carla to her boyfriend, shaking her head. "Don't worry. Send Tina home while you're at it." She didn't really want to protect that cheating bitch but for the sake of Carla and that baby Michelle knew she had to stop whatever oncoming fight between the two.

"She barely shows up as it is, 'Chelle!" Steve whinged now.

"Steve." The woman said giving him a stern look.

Steve wasn't about to protest given he knew about Tina and Peter for some time now. He understood it was right to send her home especially with a pregnant and upset Carla in the back. Regardless, he did not get a chance to even agree with his girlfriend over it.

Carla picked up her bag and shook her head quickly. She rose to her feet with a sniffle and a swift wipe of her tears. "No, don't bother, I've got a factory to open."

"Carla." Michelle stood up after her following the caramel-haired woman's steps.

Carla headed straight for the entrance of the pub which was most definitely an exit right now. Not caring who was in her way because frankly she didn't want them to see the tears in her eyes nor their track marks down her cheeks. Her rushed steps were made prominent by hasty clicks of her heels and the voice of Michelle trying to get her to come back. Perhaps she should have been looking where she was going instead of at the floor for seconds later she bumped into someone who was working behind the bar.

Without an ounce of an apology she looked up to meet the eyes of Tina with various other prying eyes watching them from around the pub.

"Oi, watch where you're going!" Tina snarled her.

"Or what?" Carla finally snapped, turning to glare at the girl. "You gonna screw my husband?" She scoffed in disgust, "Leave off would ya'."

It seemed that that was enough to spark Tina into action. She grabbed Carla's shoulders and shoved her. Carla stumbled a little but thankfully caught herself before she managed to fall. Instead she was seething, so she turned and gave the younger woman a very sharp blow to her cheek.

It echoed through the pub followed by a small chorus of, "Ohhh."

Before Tina had another chance to go at Carla, Michelle grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed herself between Tina and Carla right in the middle of the divider to the bar. "If you lay another finger on her I swear to God you will be sorry." The raven-haired woman warned her with a look of hate in her eyes.

Carla didn't do anything else but leave. Her heels clicked through the silent pub as she walked out of the door and towards the factory, fiddling with her car keys as she did so. She had to get away for some air, it was time for a break.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's Note:**_

Thanks for the reviews, follows and favourites of this story, they mean a lot to me. Sorry this update is a little on the smaller side. I got really sick this past week so it was about all I could manage and I didn't want to leave you guys waiting for too long.

* * *

Michelle stood at the divider eyes still firmly glaring at Tina. She huffed and turned away from Michelle, pushing past Steve into the back of the pub to grab her things and leave. The place was still so quiet.

"Right girls, I think we better head back to work." Sean spoke up first, seeing the upset in Michelle's face too. That and the fact if he went to the factory he may get a little more gossip out of Carla and even a little drama.

Michelle clasped her face in her hands, elbows roughly resting on the bar as she heard them all slowly leave. She would go over in a moment to check on Carla, at this second she just needed to cool down before she murdered Tina and Peter herself.

"Hey, what was that all about?" Steve asked now, walking around the bar to run a hand along his girlfriends back softly. Michelle still held her head tightly, fingers pointed into her hair with frustration.

"It doesn't matter, Steve." 'Chelle huffed now.

A distant click of Tina's heels filled the bar and soon enough she was barging past the two of them.

"Oh, shut up, Steve. Don't act as if you didn't know this was happening." Tina said just as she reached the booth behind the door. She was about to storm out but the look on Michelle's face made her stand there a little longer.

"You what?" The raven-haired woman asked, glaring strongly at Steve. She shrugged his hand off of her and let herself look him over with disgust. "You knew this was happening and you didn't think to _maybe_ tell me?"

"'Chelle." Steve looked at her, his feet making him take some steps away from her incase she lashed out. Her eyes were about as black as her hair at this point.

"You knew and you didn't tell me!" She shouted now filling the pub with more of an awkward atmosphere. Michelle took a step closer to Steve as he backed away from her, matching each one he took. Without a second question she reached out and slapped him with force, then disappeared to the back.

Steve was left where he stood in the bar, all eyes on him. A hand clutched to his cheek. Tina finally left the pub now, letting the doors slam shut behind her.

* * *

Carla headed to the factory as fast as she could manage to. Today her heels seemed to disagree with the cobbles of the street and her ankles seemed to be against her once or twice but she hadn't actually fallen. Just stumbled here and there. It was probably thanks to her busy mind and the tears still clinging in her eyes thickly.

She frantically pressed the buttons upon her keys as she got to her car, trying her damn hardest to open it with every press and every step as she got nearer. It wasn't happening. Carla's finger was simply pressing the 'lock' button repeatedly.

When she finally got to her car she began to fumble to get her key into the lock and open it. Not a thought to the locked factory that loomed tall over it. Her hands were shaky with rage, her body trembling with sadness and Carla dropped the key the moment it met the lock on the vehicle.

They clattered to the cobbles with a dulled jingle and she fell to her knees in order to scramble and pick them back up. Carla gave that idea up the moment her legs were buried underneath her broken form upon the cold floor. Just sobbing into her hands.

The sound of the pub door closing distantly and her workers chatting seconds later made her take more action now.

A sniffle. A wipe of her hand beneath teary eyes. Then she grabbed the keys and stood up.

"Carla?" Sean asked having seen her crouched at the side of her car. He now jogged towards her. She looked a right state and it made him concerned if not slightly curious.

"Not now." Huffed his boss, fumbling with her keys again. She pushed herself to her feet and tried one last time to get it into the lock before Sean actually reached her.

This time it fitted the lock successfully. The door opened beneath her palm and Carla threw it back and forced herself inside with speed. Slamming it shut and locking it seconds later. She took one calming breath to settle her wet eyes and then let the key find the ignition.

Her car took off out of the street at such a speed it could have caused a serious accident, but the woman wasn't thinking, she didn't know how to.

In any situation like this she would have grabbed some wine and drank it all away. Except, thanks to Peter, she couldn't do that any more.

Then again, right this moment she wasn't sure she wanted to keep his child any longer anyway.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Author's Note:**_

I apologise for this taking a while, I've been sick still and so sleeping has been more of a priority. Once more your reviews are always greatly appreciated. This chapter is more of a Michelle chapter but I swear the next one will have more Carla (and maybe a little Tina and Rob stuff)

* * *

Carla got in her car and she drove without another thought to where she was headed or what she would possibly do when she got there. Soon the cobbles of the street were a distant memory and the terrain changed more to one of a motorway. Before Carla could stop her driving she was on a one way trip to wherever the fuck her petrol filled car took her.

* * *

At the factory everyone stood around the entrance with confused looks upon their faces. Sean was giving the door a good tug and pull to no avail.

"She's only gone and left without opening up." Sean complained, giving up his efforts.

Eva rolled her eyes and took some polished steps on her heels to the door, "Maybe you're not opening it 'ard enough. This door's always been a toughie." She informed him, as if she knew better.

After a few tugs on the door she turned and looked more apologetically to a very smug looking Sean.

"You were saying?" He asked, hands on his hips.

Eva's nose poked high into the air, "Yeah, well y'never know with your arms."

A hurt Sean went to ask what that possibly meant when it was interrupted moments later by a more-so level headed Julie.

"Guys, what should we do? Shall we go find Mr. Barlow and ask 'im to unlock it?" She asked now, eyeing the flat that was tucked away around a corner.

"And by 'we' I presume you mean one of us lot?" Sean pointed to himself and then a few others. Then shook his head. "With the mood he was in I'm going no where near him."

"Ey, but you could get s'more gossip outta 'im if you go." Beth piped up.

"Yeah, or he could get 'imself murdered with the look on Mr. Barlow's face a minute ago." Izzy said now, glancing to Sean.

Sean had a frown etching his features, it had fallen dramatically more since the comment of him getting murdered, "Since when did we all decide I'd be the one going?" He asked, pointing to himself.

"Since you volunteered yourself for it, obviously!"

He froze, looking to the cobbles as cogs turned in his mind, then looked up surprisingly quick with a thought, "What about Michelle? 'm sure she has a spare key." Sean offered out, hopeful.

"Oh, aye, yeah." Sinead's eyes rolled, in almost a squint thanks to the sunlight. "She looked more ravin' mad than Mr. Barlow did. Besides, I saw on a documentary once that women will snap quicker than men." The girl rambled on.

Beth looked to her with an unsure look on her face, "Oh yeah? What rubbish was that then? I'm sure there are far more guys who kill than girls." She rested her hands on her hips with the challenge.

"Maybe that's just 'cause we're all better at hiding the body and getting away with it, Auntie Beth."

"Yeah, well-" Beth began to talk, but was cut off by Eva's next words.

"Guys, Michelle." She said, a hand rising to rub at her forehead. As if that would make her words vastly more subtle to the raven-haired woman now storming across the street.

* * *

Michelle had stormed to the back of the pub after hitting Steve. She was seething mad. Rough, angry, breaths went in and out of her lungs as she tried her hardest to not scream or throw something, even if the fruit bowl on the middle of the dining table looked very appealing to her and she wanted nothing more than to see it smashed to pieces against the wall.

Instead she leant heavily against the oak table letting herself calm down as best she could.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six.

Before she could even reach ten in her head Steve entered the back, looking apologetic and on the brink to beg for forgiveness. It was the final straw for Michelle.

"'Chelle. I'm sorry. 'Chelle." Steve was pleading now, walking behind her.

Her arm reached out and whacked the bowl. It didn't smash against the wall as Michelle had intended, instead it fell to the floor in a dull thud. The fruit rolling away from it gently.

"Don't you apologise. Don't you dare, Steve. You should have told me the moment you found out and you didn't!" Her voice got louder. Michelle spun on her heels to shoot him a strong glare. Steve shielded his face as if he expected another slap from the woman.

"'Chelle." He huffed once more, taking in the tears in her eyes that seemed masked by madness.

"Whatever, Steve. I'll deal with you later." Michelle scrambled to grab her jacket, throwing it over herself before she left the back.

A pin could be heard dropping in the pub as she walked through it. The door flinging open so hard it vibrated from hitting the frame outside. Her heels clicking up the street at such a quick pace was what alerted Eva to her entrance at all.

"What's going on?" Michelle asked now she finally reached the group. Suspecting the worst.

"T'doors locked." Izzy informed her with a cock of her head.

"Yeah, I flamin' well figured that one." Michelle fiddled in her pocket to grasp her keys, "Please tell me Carla 'asn't gone and locked 'erself in here."

"Worse." Sean said, "She's gone AWOL."

"You what." Michelle plucked the factory's key from the others, stepping forward to unlock the doors. "What do you mean 'she's gone AWOL'?" The woman snapped, looking at Sean just as she opened the door and removed her key from it.

"Yeah she just drove off, dunno where she went." Beth informed her.

"Right," Sighed Michelle, fiddling to release the key from it's keyring. She passed it over to Eva. "Lock up at closing time." She said swiftly turning and heading back over the street.

"What are we supposed to do?" Beth called after her only to be ignored. She sighed deeply.

"Just carry on with the order." Julie informed her, everyone heading inside now.

When Michelle reached the pub once more she headed straight through to the back. Steve was frantically picking up the fruit bowl and its contents. He looked to his girlfriend without saying a single word now.

Michelle fished her phone from her pocket, pressing it to her ear in an attempt to call her best friend.

Voicemail, of course.


End file.
